văn hoa
Definition
- Adjective:
- Flowery; ornate; florid: Refers to language, speech, or writing that is excessively embellished, decorated, or uses many elaborate and fancy words, often to impress rather than to communicate clearly and directly.
Usage Examples
- Adjective:
- Lời văn của anh ấy quá văn hoa. (His writing is too flowery.)
- Bài diễn văn nghe rất văn hoa nhưng thiếu nội dung. (The speech sounded very ornate but lacked substance.)
- Cô ấy không thích phong cách văn hoa, cô ấy thích sự giản dị. (She doesn't like a florid style; she prefers simplicity.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in a slightly critical or negative sense to describe communication that is perceived as overly decorative, pretentious, or lacking in sincerity and straightforwardness.
Variants and Related Words
- Văn vẻ (adj): Also describes language that is literary or stylistically showy, similar to "văn hoa."
- Hoa mỹ (adj): Elaborate and beautiful in a decorative sense, often used for language or description.
Synonyms
- Ornate: Made in an intricate shape or decorated with complex patterns; for language, heavily adorned.
- Florid: Having a red or flushed complexion; for language, excessively intricate or elaborate.
- Flowery: Full of elaborate literary words and phrases.
- Embellished: Made more attractive by the addition of decorative details.
Antonyms
- Plain: Not decorated or elaborate; simple.
- Straightforward: Uncomplicated and direct.
- Concise: Giving a lot of information clearly and in a few words.
- Simple: Easily understood or done; not complex.
Related Idioms
- Văn hoa chữ nghĩa: A phrase emphasizing the ornate and decorative use of words and letters, often implying a focus on form over substance.